I think my first creative work was in 1962 age 2 when I painted my brothers treasured train spotting books completely yellow ochre. Trains featured heavily in my early works largely inspired by my brother and father (both talented artists).It was a railway inspired picture that won me first prize in BBC’s South Today’s Painting competition in the mid 60’s I won the junior prize and my brother the senior prize.
Art always gained me popularity at school, I was always asked to draw for my fellow classmates. I got my first kiss because I drew a favoured girl a picture. At senior school I spent my time drawing trains and passed Art O level and followed the family path to Art College. Two years at art school were wasted in the search of hedonism, beer and punk rock until I realised I had a diploma to pass and finally crammed the last few months to gain a diploma in Graphic Design.
Thrust into the wide world I toiled as a graphic designer for several years and turned freelance. Being my own boss I began commissioning my self for illustrations for brochures and graphic projects and began developing a style using pastels. Through an Art Director friend I got my first illustration commission in 1998. Since then I’ve produced hundreds of commissions for clients including Royal Mail, Readers Digest, Radio Times, Sunday Times and many business publishers.
Alongside illustrating and graphics I’ve always enjoyed drawing from life, and regularly sold work locally - architectural, land and seascapes my favoured subjects.
In 2001 I had my first art print commissions worldwide and started publishing my own works. I continue to do graphics and illustrate but painting and drawing is now my passion.
live and work in Salisbury in Wiltshire a city not only blessed with one of the finest cathedrals in the world but nestling in what is stunningly beautiful countryside. I love the vast areas of Salisbury Plain and the chalk downlands with its often bleak beauty, huge skies, linear horizons and vast blocks of coloured fields constantly shifting.
A gaze from my studio window is itself inspiration, the majesty of the elegant spire dominates the skyline and behind the sometimes brooding chalk hills and rolling skies, fantastic! Mix Hopper with Rothko stir in some Turner, Sisley, Monet and a large dose of Wiltshire, 44 years simplify it all and that's just part of my inspiration!
love working from pastels, I find them incredibly versatile, the almost instant reward of the first strike of colour on the paper. I’ll usually do a quick thumbnail sketch to get the composition and basic tones and then set to work. I love the spontinaity of working quickly, the adrenilin rush, the flow of ideas almost overtaking my ability to get them down fast enough. Sometimes I’ll start a piece with virtually no idea of what's to come and just let the flow take me. I use my hands and fingers to do the final blending and finishing, discovering different flicks and rubs to create effects and blends. Then after the enjoyment of producing the work, the satisfaction of standing back and analysing it. I always like my work but the final reward is always when other people do too, which is the ultimate satisfaction.
I can’t ever see myself doing anything else I love my work and environment and hopefully will never tire or retire from it, it gives me and hopefully other people immense satisfaction.
I live in a early 18th century cottage in the centre of Salisbury and share it with my partner Anne-Marie, a ceramicist, and long-time friend Anthony, a figurative artist. The house is always alive with creativity which is a lovely environment to work in.
I’ll be first up around 7am and quite often will run first thing, a great way to start the day. I’ll run along the river; sometimes the scene when the sun is rising low through the mist over the water, melting the soft colours and hues together, is just stunning. Then I’ll head through the peaceful splendour of the cathedral close and through the awakening city centre home.
I’ll be in the studio by 9, sorting paper work, emails and planning the day; depending on work load I’ll start drawing mid morning and work through to early evening. I do like to sneak out during the day and wander round the town, especially on market day.
I love to cook, so early evening Anne-Marie and I will wander to the allotment to pick fresh vegetables and drop into the local for a pint, then home, cooking and settling down for the evening. I love a family evening so when my teenage children, Frank and Hattie come we’ll spend the evening making pizzas and fooling around. If Salisbury FC are at home there is nothing better than an evening on the terraces.